Helix Interview: Billy Campbell and Jordan Hayes On Horror

Interview with Helix cast members Billy Campbell and Jordan Hayes

Helix has really made a splash on the sci-fi scene. It’s quickly becoming one of Syfy Network’s most-watched shows and a lot of that has to do with its gore and horror scenes. In a recent interview, cast members Billy Campbell and Jordan Hayes discussed what it’s like to work on such a terrifying show.

Firstly, how real are those special effects we see onscreen? In reference to the first real gory scene of the series, Campbell said, “You can just imagine.” After jokingly stating that Hayes really did throw up in her helmet during that particular scene, he continued. “But you can imagine opening a body bag and having the goop drip out and having the skeleton there. It was all very, very conducive to that kind of feeling.”

Hayes agreed and discussed the horror element of the series as a whole, “If you look at Peter Farragut, who’s played by Neil Napier, if you look at his makeup, I mean it’s just terrifying,” she said. “Our special effects team in Montreal is just unbelievable. They’re just so good.”

“I remember Neil would come and sit down next to us while we had lunch, and it was unappetizing to have him sitting across from you,” Campbell added. He said that it’s part of what makes the show so good and so believable. “It helps a lot. That definitely helps you get into the mind frame of ‘Look at this virus, look at what it’s doing to this person,’ because the special effects makeup is just so, so, good.”

Campbell said part of the appeal of doing Helix was these horror elements. “I’m a big fan of both The Thing movies, and Andromeda Strain is one of my big favorite films,” he said.

Part of what makes Helix so compelling is that the situation feels real, especially considering that outbreaks of super flu and bird flu happen every year. Hayes said, “That’s one of the greatest things about this show is that it’s dealing with something very real. And throughout history we’ve seen huge epidemics wipe out hundreds of millions of people. And although now, thankfully, we have the invention of antibiotics and we can treat things much better, it’s still very real and it’s still very scary, and can possibly wipe out thousands of people.”

Campbell agreed. “I think it goes to like sort of our most primal fears,” he said. “The thing which you cannot see that will come in the night and kill you from the inside out. And I can’t imagine much of anything creepier than that.”

Well put, right? If you want to get in on the creep factor, don’t miss Helix on Syfy on Fridays at 10/9c. And catch this sneak peek below of episode five: